Electrical connector



(No Model.)

F. N. BELL.-

ELEGTRIGAL CONNECTOR.

' No; 539,024. PatentedMay 14,1895.

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FRANK N. BELL, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 539,024, dated May 14,1895.

Application filed July 28, 1894. Serial No. 518,858- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK N. BELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milford, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Connectors; and I do declare the following-to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompany-- ing drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

, This invention relates in a minor degree to bolt looks, but bearsamuch more important and intimate mechanical relationship to electricalconnectors, as an improvement in which class of devices it is especiallydesigned. Its objects are to secure a perfectly firm and even metalliccontact throughout the length and against the entire interior surface ofthe bore in the web of the rails surrounding the invention; to provideagainst the separation of the parts by the jarring of ordinary service,and to afford ready and reliable means of taking up wear or loosenessfrom any cause.

My invention consists, particularly, of an ordinary headed bolt with athreaded end and nut, an outer split thimble of metal and an inner splitsleeve. Upon the surface of the bolt are formed raised points or jaggedprojections which are pressed into the inner sleeve, the various partsbeing thus additionally secured in position and the desired contactmaintained. In lieu of a bolt, and form-' ing the necessary metallicunion between the ends of abutting rails, I use a rod having its endsthreaded and provided with nuts, said rod being nicked near the ends asin the case of the bolt, and a short length at each end of. the rod bentat approximately right angles with the remainder, to be passedthroughthe split thimbles as more minutely described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings like letters represent corresponding partsin the several views.

Figure l is a plan of a rail-joint with part of a horizontal sectionview of my connector in position passing through fish-plates and web.This section follows the line was in Fig.

4. Fig. 2 is a plan and in part a horizontal section of two rail endsjoined Web to web by a rod bent for use with my device. This section isupon the line 'y y, Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a larger part sectional view ofthe bolt-connector. Fig. 4: is a View, partly in vertical section, uponthe line 0 o of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, a similar vertical out following theline p p of the second .figure.

First to be described is the outer split thimble, 0. The exterior andinterior surfaces of this piece form truncated cones with bases atopposite ends of the thimble. The base of the outer and the smaller endof the inner conical surface are closed to a central aperture admittingthe bolt. The wall of the piece is split longitudinally upon as manylines and to such length as will permit the desired expansion frompressure.

The interior of the inner sleeve or thimble, cl, fits the bolt,while itsexterior possesses a taper corresponding to the interior of the thimble,c,'although of slightly greater average diameter. Sleeve, d, is splitlengthwise as in the case of c. The bolt is in common form and inpractice the surface is nicked or ruptured raising, as in Fig. 3, thejagged projections, g g. It will be observed that in using theconnecting rod with my invention the bends in the rod act in the samemanner as the head of the bolt in the relations of the parts.

In combining the members above described, bolt, a, or the perpendicularrod-ends pass through the base of thimble, c, said thimble being thrustinto the orifice bored in the rail for its reception. The smaller end ofthe sleeve, d, which encircles the bolt, is inserted and pressed wellinto the hollow of the outer thimble and the nut screwed on the boltbeyond d. The head of the bolt being hold fast, the nut is set up and anobviovs compound pressure exerted along the entire bore in the rail andbetween the inner surface of the sleeve, d, and the bolt. forced into(1, and the parts thus maintained in proper position even when the nutis taken off. By the co-operation of the parts as above detailed Iobtain and maintain a reliable and adequate contact between metalsurfaces for the passage of current electricity without loss by heating,a consideration of paramount im- The projections, g g, are

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portance in every day electric railway practice.

Having thus sufliciently described my invention, what I claim, anddesire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electrical connector, an outer thiinble having one end closedto a centrally located bolt hole, the walls of said thimble being split,

upon one or more lines, in the direction of the length, an inner sleeveor thimble having a tapering exterior surface and adapted to enter thehollow of said outer thimble and to expand the same upon being subjectedto end pressures from a screw-bolt or bent connecting rod passingthrough said thiinble and sleeve, substantially as shown and describedfor the purpose set forth.

2. In an electrical connector, an outer thirnble having one end closedto a centrally located bolt hole, the exterior surface of the saidthinlble tapering from said partly closed end and the interior surfacetapering toward said end, the wall of the thimble being split lengthwiseupon one or more lines, an inner sleeve or thimble provided with atapering exterior surface corresponding to the interior taper of thesaid outer thimble but of slightly longer mean diameter, the said innersleeve split upon one or more lines through part of its length andadapted to enter and expand said outer thimble upon receiving endpressure from the bolt, the whole constructed substantially as shown anddescribed for the purpose set forth.

3. An electrical connector consisting of an outer split thimblo, 0,having oppositely tapering exterior and interior surfaces, the innersplit sleeve, d, having atapering exterior adapted to enter and expandthe said thimble, 0, upon receiving end pressure from abo.t or angle rodhaving ruptures or jagged projections, g g, raised from its surface andforced into the inner surface ofsleeve, (I, when the parts are pressedtogether, serving to hold the device in position even if the nut isunscrewed, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as shown anddescribed for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix .my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK N. BELL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES A. BLAISDELL, ADOMIAM J. WILKINSON.

